Meet the Best and Brightest graduates

Friday

They made their mark in the classroom, on the playing field, through extracurricular activities and in their communities.

Today, The Gazette kicks off its graduation week coverage by introducing its The Gaston Gazette/Shelby Star Best & Brightest 2018.

Students from Gaston, Cleveland, Lincoln counties, and Clover, South Carolina, applied to the annual program that honors an outstanding senior from each high school in The Gazette's coverage area.

A panel made up of community volunteers, representatives of civic groups, educators and the members of the business community selected the winners. Students were chosen based on academics, and school and community involvement. Students were required to write a 300 word essay outlining something they had done to make a difference in the world around them.

The students were honored at a reception held April 26 at the Schiele Museum. UNC basketball player Aaron Rohlman, a Hunter Huss graduate and 2014 Best & Brightest recipient, was the guest speaker.

Three of the students honored received scholarships from The Gazette and The Star for their community service: Allison Roney, Forestview High School, $1,500; Hailey Turner, Gaston Christian School, $1,000; and Corey Mansfield, a homeschool student, $1,000. (For a profile of Mansfield, see page E1)

Here are the honorees, and a quote from their Best & Brightest essay:

Megan Farris (Ashbrook High)

On serving as the president of the Ashbrook High School Bible Club/FCA, Farris says, “We have built a strong core group of dedicated club members that will continue to work on building a vibrant club within our school.”

Sabel G. “Gabby” Franklin (Bessemer City High)

“I believe that hosting the blood drives is one of my greatest accomplishments,” Franklin says. “I have found a love in volunteering and I can’t wait to see how I will expand my volunteer work while in college.”

Caroline Eason (Burns High)

“I plan to continue hosting blood drives,” Eason says. “I feel that this is the most important contribution to my community because it brings the community together and helped save people’s lives.”

Alexander Long (Cherryville High)

“I believe that my own greatest difference I have made has been the example I have set for others,” Long says. “The positive and amicable attitude that I try to exhibit toward others is one that I hope that they reciprocate.”

Amiee Littlejohn (Cleveland Early College High)

On her student-based tutoring program, Littlejohn says, “It’s much more than helping someone pass a class. This program uplifts their spirits and helps them understand that a grade does not define you.”

Morgan Farrar (Clover High)

On her position as a student athletic trainer, Farrar says, “With my upbeat personality, desire to learn, and innate nature to help others, I have fostered relationships with the athletes, coaches, other athletic trainers, as well as with families and fans.”

Kayla Pittman (Crest High)

“Community service involvement has been life-changing for me,” Pittman says. “I have seen what a huge impact one person can make. I never dreamed that my efforts would result in raising over $10,000 (not counting 2018 totals) for multiple sclerosis.”

Bradley Beumer (East Gaston High)

“Whenever I encounter negativity in my groups, I do my best to ease the issue,” Beumer says. “This is something I have always done; the urge to lend a helping hand is part of my personality.”

Emily Stolzenbach (East Lincoln High)

On working for East Lincoln High’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, Stolzenbach says, “In our first year, we raised around $3,000 and built two homes for Lincoln County residents. I worked tirelessly for the fundraising committee...while simultaneously volunteering at the build sites.”

Allison Roney (Forestview High)

On volunteering at Loray Girls’ Home, Roney says, “The girls yearned for caring and positive influences, and the staff in the home and volunteers like myself could help them develop better decision-making skills and understand that their choices, and therefore their lives, could be turned in a positive direction.”

Hailey Turner (Gaston Christian)

On creating the Love Like Lauren Foundation, Turner says, “I believe in order to truly make a difference, you need to be passionate about your cause. I found my passion for helping pediatric cancer patients...while the foundation may be small, it has had an impact on the lives of many people, including myself.”

Kathryn Elder (Gaston Day School)

“I founded Girl Talk, a program at my school for high school girls to mentor middle school girls,” Elder says. “The program focuses on promoting women’s unity and empowerment so that young females can grow into confident leaders.”

Kaizyn Hancock (Gaston Early College High)

On working as a producer for Gaston Early College High’s Spartan Six News Crew, Hancock says, “I contributed my ideas, creativity and originality to something greater than just myself; to a group of people that have great minds and even greater potential.”

Corey Mansfield (Harvest Christian Academy)

On volunteering on the Gaston County Public Library’s Teen Advisory Board, Mansfield says, “Seeing so many children who are stuck in a world of technology makes me want to show them the joy of books...books help open children’s imaginations and causes them to think of new ideas and solutions to problems.”

Casey Almond (Highland School of Technology)

“I have made a huge impact on the special needs community by volunteering over 700 hours,” Almond says. “Working with special needs has given me the greatest fulfillment of my life, and it has shown me how to balance pride with humility.”

Gabriela Fonseca (Hunter Huss High)

"[Student Body President] Jenny and I put together a student-led demonstration that the administration approved of to honor the seventeen people lost in Parkland (Florida) as well as spread the message that if you believe change is needed, be that change,” Fonseca says.

Amber Belcher (Kings Mountain High)

On working for the Mauney Memorial Library, Belcher says, “I was able to help my community come together year after year through the library and through the love of learning. I learned that we should be grateful for what our community offers us.”

Grant Swicegood (Lincoln Charter School, Denver Campus)

On volunteering to help the homeless, Swicegood says, “I was among the few kids to help when I started. I’ve encouraged others to come and when they do, I make sure they feel useful. Now we have just as many teens as adults who regularly come feed the homeless.”

Derek McKean (Lincolnton High)

On renovating his school’s tennis courts with his Boy Scouts troop, McKean says, “Since I have put in the time to improve the area, the principal announced that the school will be refinishing the courts this summer. This project not only helped LHS, but also helped the community.”

Shelby Parker (North Gaston High)

“I chose to befriend all students at North Gaston that I came across, and treated each of them with an equal amount of respect and kindness,” Parker says. “This in turn, made other students start acting in the same way.”

McKenzie Jones (North Lincoln High)

“Connecting students with local service opportunities, while utilizing the skills I learned from Girl Scouts, has been my biggest contribution to my school and community,” Jones says. “I am humbled to leave a legacy of service at NLHS.”

Cydney Williams (Piedmont Community Charter School)

“I truly believe in making myself available to serving those in need or working towards a common cause alongside others,” Williams says. “I have made a difference by providing at least twenty-five hours of direct community service annually to local community social services agencies.”

Emma Ware (Shelby High)

On volunteering for Younglives, an outreach program for teenage mothers, Ware says, “What I thought was just a one week commitment to hold babies turned into something much more...these girls are some of the most overlooked and least understood people in society.”

Sofia Saiz (South Point High)

“I believe that I have made an impact on the world around me, not with a grand gesture that captures everyone’s attention, but with continuous simple, kind actions, which can many times be more effective than grand gestures,” Saiz says.

Madison Rollins (Stuart Cramer High)

“My passion and the way I have contributed to my community are demonstrated through the continuing mentoring and encouragement I strive to provide and plan to continue throughout my college career,” Rollins says.

Stephanie Williams (Webb Street School)

Webb Street teacher Susie Miller says, “A senior at Webb Street School, Stephanie Williams is a role model for all her fellow students. Stephanie is determined to work hard at whatever is placed before her.”

Grace Gantt (West Lincoln High)

“It is always good to give back to a community that gives you its all. Balancing school work and sports with community service was a challenge I wouldn’t back down from,” Gantt says. “Always remember to stay humble and be appreciative for what you have.”

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